Next Level Play

 I stumbled across the video below on YouTube.  The ideas expounded add a lot of detail to the old phrase, "It depends," which modifies all the instruction in re pickleball.

The gal does a nice job, the video is well paced and the examples are good.

I agree with almost everything she has to say, but I'd add a modifier, it depends on the level of all the players.  For example, following in a service return to the non-volley zone (NVZ) even after a bad second shot (service return), I still think makes sense if the levels are 3.5 or below.  Yes, if the service return is short with a high bounce, a good player will roll in at such an angle and speed that it will be difficult to return it from a NVZ position.  But in the game where you didn't know about following the serve in, that caveat really doesn't apply.  When the game gets better, you're much less likely to hit a bad return, so it all balances out.  

I'll summarize the video's audience as the person who's played a while, can hit the ball pretty well, hasn't thought about the game much, but wants to move up.  The content adds texture to the "rules" of play.

Highly recommended.  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poOr8YK5ZUw

One think she mentions is the demise of the soft game that she says is inevitable.  As the paddles get spinnier, shots will be hit harder and from lower locations, so the dink game may well vanish in short order.  Maybe the science of dinking will improve some too.  Dinks might get spinnier too and more angular.  We shall see.  Clearly at the pro level, particularly with the gals, the dinking is close to gone.  They bang the ball.  The men dink more as their counter punches are better and speed ups are punished more.  And that might be the future route.  Let's say the game goes from dinks, to fast.  Then the counter speed ups get better so that speed ups are not as effective, then the dinks become more useful as a means to wait for a better chance to speed up.

I think the paddle spin technology is going to be a big deal down the road.  I'd like to see a pro table tennis player try the game.  Table tennis is all about spin.  When the paddles get to that level and they might, as they try to make them quieter, the game will change.  Whether the powers that be will allow that is something else.  Clearly something will be done about paddles and the ball in re noise levels.  It maybe that the sport will get quieter and thus spinnier.

A Couple of Swing Thoughts

 One of the bad things about PB is that the paddle and ball don't weigh much.  You might think that was a good thing, but it allows some inefficient swings.  You can get away with them as nothing in the game requires a lot of strength.  But for long term efficiency, we must look for a good swing.

As a close reader will have noticed, I'm also the holder of a dubious golf swing.  The PB and golf swing have a lot in common.  And since I spend a lot of time working on my golf swing, there is carry over (or do you say 'bleed through?').  In either case I do on occasion have very sore hands.

I'm getting to the point here and it's a useful bit of information...

I watched the ladies' singles from the Vulcan PB tournament and I noticed on a lot of shots that the paddle hand of the gals' was bent backwards.  To make it clear in what manner the wrist was bending, imagine your arm is flat on a table with the palm down.  Now raise your hand by bending at the wrist.  That is the position used for ground strokes and serves.  If they hit a backhand, the bend went the other way, but this angle was always there.  Typically there is still some angular deviation of the paddle from the arm angle.  If your grip is anywhere close to "shake hands" this is automatic and I think desirable.

Now for the golf tie in...  There is a swing aid out there called the GEM.  I built one and could never get it to work properly due to my poor swing mechanics.  In a video today, an old time golf coach was reviewing it.  He had made items like it before going back 40 years or something.  And then they were discussing what the GEM was supposed to make you do.  Basically you have to rotate your right wrist early into a position in order to make an underhand tossing motion.  And you want that right wrist to have the same back bend as the PB players had!

In golf it's the trailing wrist with this bend - right hand for righties.  For a two handed back hand swing, it's also the trail wrist with this bend.

The bend doesn't last long as the paddle and golf club are in motion and are rotating/closing/coming around faster than the hands.  Some of the bend is there at contact.

I've always thought of the PB serve motion as an underhanded toss, but I'm not sure of this wrist bend.  I think I usually use it to generate more top spin, but I've not fully embraced maintaining the bend and rotating savagely.  And I, for sure, was not thinking of the golf swing as an underhanded tossing motion with this wrist position.  

(The alternative golf swing is to rotate your forearms to square the club.  There is some timing with this and it's done later in the swing than if you prepare for this underhanded toss motion.  The underhanded motion starts with an early, but slight wrist uncocking about when left arm is parallel to the ground, which squares the club.  After that, the swing is nothing but a body rotation.)

I think the wrist bend adds some mechanical advantage to a swing.  It looked like not all the guys used it for ground strokes.  They did use it for overheads and smashes.

I'll be teaching at the PB 101 class on Saturday and there will be time to test this out.  I did hit some golf balls in the backyard and it seems to be valid.  So you might want to see how much of this is in your swing and play around with it.  It should give you more power.

One other golf point that I stumbled across today -- it's now Monday, is that the forces that move your body forward as into a shot, need to start earlier than the actual swing at the ball.  In some golfers they are planning the "to the ball" motion by the time the club is waist high during the backswing (as part of this, the club while still rising, is probably deaccelerating up to the top).  

I think a proper PB stroke will have a lot of this early motion in it.  We've all been caught having to move backwards and then swing forward - it's inelegant, inefficient, and hard.  Next time you are starting a serve, see if you can feel the body getting ready to reverse position and how early that is in the backswing. If it's very late, I would expect a serve that is higher and weaker and feels a bit awkward.  

Scooping the Ball

 I'm warming up before teaching one of the PB 101 classes and we're dinking a bit.  One of the things I press upon beginners is the idea of lifting shots over the net.  It's easily observed with dinks, you have to get under the ball then lift and push it.

I also think it's true of almost all ground strokes.  If you place the paddle under the ball then roll or cut it, there is a lot of control and you'll get less netted balls.  

This concept of a scoop came from somewhere; I've watched a lot of PB these last few days with the nasty weather.  And as mentioned I was focusing on this catch/scoop then do something stroke.  

I liked how it felt and how it seemed to slow the hit down.  One of the things that pros do when dinking is move the paddle in position, always open, then do some last instant stroke to finish the shot.  They seem in slow motion and it looks easier than what I am used to doing.  Of course they miss dinks too, so while it may look effortless and totally in control they are walking a fine line too between joy and disaster.  Their shot evaluations are hopefully much more stern than us rec players, so it's probably all in balance vis a vis the success error ratio.

Today was a dark and stormy morning, but there were a few hardy souls out playing.  Practice preceded play.  I still like this scoop feeling with the ball particularly with dink and other soft shots like thirds.

I like this and it fits my style of caressing the ball rather than hitting it.  It generates a soft shot and I think I can hit these soft shots a bit higher over the net and still find them less attackable.  Getting them higher cuts down on netted balls, so I welcome that side effect.

Give it a try and feedback is always appreciated.  

Following Up a Good Shot

 I'm playing the other day and my partner hits a good shot.  I'm at the net and he is back a bit, not all the way to the baseline -- a couple of steps in.

As I said, his shot was good and...  he just stayed where he was and watched the point develop.  That would have been fine if the shot was not returned, but it was.  

The return was fine, nothing demonic or unworldly.  If my partner had followed his shot to the kitchen line, he could have easily put it away.  But he was back.  And he did return this next shot, but now he was out of position and the opponents were at the advantage.  They soon hit the ball at his feet and that ended the point.

Here was a shot that was great as long as the hitter recognized that the shot required some care and nurturing.  The first shot was never going to be a winner, but the follow up shot was -- as long as he closed to the kitchen line.

I talk about time management a lot, but here is an example of space management.  I think of this game as being one of "king of the mountain," and you always want to climb the mountain.  Don't admire your shot or wonder if it's going to land in, just go to the best location for the next shot.  Worst case is you got in a few extra steps!

The Upward Dink, or Dinking Like Angel

Angel is our visiting/semi-resident professional.  He has videos on YouTube, look for Angel Hernandez to see his posts.  He plays professionally in men's doubles.

He dropped by the Downs a couple of times over the holidays and I was lucky enough to play with him a couple of times and against him, too.

Aside from all the things he does well, he has a dink action that I've not seen before.  It looks to me that he has an open paddle face, i.e., facing a bit towards the sky, and the stroke seems to be totally vertical.  He does not seem to lift the ball or push it.  What this stroke does is pop the ball up and forward and with top spin.  

A version of dinking theory would categorize all dinks as either lifts or pushes.  Lift for short shots, and push the ball for longer shots.  Angel's version is not covered by this model.  

The forward motion is provided by the speed of the ball when he hits it.  All he provides is the open paddle that transforms the momentum into some forward and upward motion and the top spin.

These balls don't rise much over the net and then they kick a bit when they hit.  He is very good at placing them at the kitchen line and his directional control is also very good.

I've found this stroke is not easy to hit without some practice.  I think a soft grip is essential and then the usual trust not to try to help the ball over the net.  

Try bouncing a ball on your paddle then altering the face angle and letting the ball hit it.  See what happens with distance and direction.

Good Games?!

 "How were your games today?"

"Good, I had some challenges and some fun ones."

"Yes, the upper level games can be less than interesting.  Nice get a couple in, but beyond that, a bit boring." 

It was an old discussion, but still relevant.  A game of pickleball is a lot like a cross word puzzle, there is a fine line between too easy and too hard.

If you are in a game over your head, it's difficult to feel comfortable as you are probably going to make almost all of the mistakes.  The speed might be too fast for your abilities and shots that work in your normal game are sitters in this one.  I'm not saying "don't play up," but it might not be a lot of fun.

The other side is playing down a level or two.  If you play at 9/10, the other players are not going to be able to cope and it's probably not a lot of fun for anyone -- though your partner might not mind.  I'd suggest in that case to play a lot of balls back to your opponents, work for longer rallies, and practice things like esoteric spins and angles, which you might not be able to do at full speed.

I find the more enjoyable games are with happy people who play at a reasonable level for longer rallies, lots of dinking, and the game is tight.

Angst or Happiness?

 I've been told not to put a rhetorical question in a title.  So, if it bothers you, I know I done bad...

In a conversation with Ramin, we discussed why people try to hit low percentage shots.  

I would call this going for winners, but Ramin broadens it out to hitting the shot which wins rarely, but when it wins, it's a joy to behold.

I'll use Ramin's example of players he knows who coming from racquetball will try to drive all shots.  This includes shots that cannot go in as they are too low when hit.  And they do it a lot.  

Ramin's view is that they take on this shot because similar shots worked in the past and there is reward from having made them.  Thus when the next occasion comes up and the shot looks about the same, they whack it.  Ramin suggests that the pleasure from past shots overwhelms the expectation that the shot is impossible.  There is an intellectual disconnect and the whack mode comes out to play.

I take a different view of this.  I'd suggest that the fear of hitting bad dinks, blocks the dink mode and let's the whack mode happen.  I think it's fear and not past happiness that is driving this.

Let's look at some more items along these lines.  You are approaching the line and you get a ball that's up a bit.  You whack it and hit it into the net rather than just dinking to a backhand, getting to the net, and getting ready for a return.  I see this a lot and in my own game.  I'm more likely to hit the ball too hard, rather than to play the long game.  In this case, I can see that there is more pleasure in a whack than a dink.  But pleasure delayed is pleasure enhanced, so I'm trying to be more dinking than whacking on such shots.

As I've matured, I've found much pleasure in a longer rally with more difficult shots that don't rely on speed.  For example hitting an awkward shot to a back hand, or pushing a ball behind an opponent.  And, of course, punishing players who like to hit on the run or don't come up to the kitchen when they should. 

  

Miscellaneous Stuff

 I had a nice series of games today.  The pace of play and styles and general happiness of all the contestants was very nice.  The games were good, competitive, and close.  Lots of good points, with some scrambling and dinking -- all fun.

-----

I mentioned in a past post that I have a new paddle.  Having a new paddle that differs in playing characteristics from the priors, might suggest that different shots ought to be considered.  For example, take a new paddle that provides more spin.  If you hit a ball the same way as the old paddle you will get more spin.  But what might be more important is to explore what you can do with more spin.  It will open up side angles for example, and if you hit a top spin serve, as you probably do, it's hard not to, you can hit that serve harder.  Also with the promise of more spin, it might be a good idea to work on spin production technique, to take advantage of what the new paddle provides.  Basically a new paddle might require/allow you to change your game in a fundamental way.  

If you've ever been fitted for golf clubs, they match the clubs to your swing.  Which begs the question of whether you need new clubs, or a new swing, or, of course, both; the order of lessons and fitting is a touch important...  

Paddles parameters are power and spin.  If you have a non-spinny paddle, then trying to have a spinny game is probably not the best choice for a play style.  And buying a spinny paddle, then not spinning the ball, makes little sense too.  I seem to be advocating that you choose or change your style based on your equipment.

One more case, you are happy with a control game and don't want to do anything differently, then look for a control paddle that will augment your current skills.  But even in that, a control paddle is by definition not very powerful, so you might still find that you can hit the ball harder and keep it in, and may even have to hit the ball harder to get your former shot.  

I've come a full circle here.  Every paddle will require some recalibration to get back to your prior game.  But every new paddle will allow you to change your style, hopefully to become more efficient or more sophisticated in your play, i.e., to move past your prior play level.

And if you are not willing or eager to change the way you play, you might be very careful about getting a new paddle.  

When I came into the sport, I went through a bunch of paddles before I found one that felt differently than any other.  Coming from table tennis, I've got some very spinny shots and they are comfortable for me.  The paddles I've bought since have always provided more spin and a larger sweet spot than the prior ones.  Those characteristics also seem to provide a soft feel to a strike.  That's also very comfortable to me.  I didn't know starting out what my style would be.  Any new player ought to play a while, find out the shots he likes to hit, and choose the first "good" paddle to enhance the game style you want to play.

Finally, in re paddles, lead tape will dramatically change the way a paddle feels.  Tape is cheap, found at any golf shop.  Tape the end of the paddle for more power and more towards the grip for stability and a lower sweet spot.  I tend to tape the bottom third of the paddle.  I cover the lead tape with plastic electricians' tape to help keep it in place and as a barrier as lead is a bit toxic.

---

I'm watching a bunch of the Desert Ridge PB Tournament this weekend.  I'm watching it with the sound turned off.  I like to hear the sound of the hits, but I cannot stand the announcers for the most part.  I have the same problem with golf announcers.  The announcers are great at telling you what you just saw.  Rarely do they provide any content.  For example, the referee says, "8-2-2." and the announcer says, "It's 8-2-2!"  Then they add some crap on the end of that to try to heighten the drama.  "They really need to score some points at the next change over."  Or, "They now lead six to five, which is a one point lead."  Now, who does that help?  The audience member who can't do some pretty basic arithmetic in their head?  I play PB, so I know what a one point lead is in the middle of the game.  Sheesh.  Anyways, if they every make me king, there will be a lot of sports folks out of a job.

There was a video maybe a year ago where Ben Johns did some commentary.  He has some very inciteful comments and displayed a knowledge of what the game is about that I'd not heard before.  

Causes of Bad Play

 I was playing the other day and at the end of one game, another started.  My new partner warned me of having "a bad play day."

I've been thinking about what causes a bad day, or game, or stretch of some minutes.

I once asked an old golf pro what was the cause of inconsistent play in golf.  He thought it was excessive, non-proper body movement.

I have no doubt to question that.  Golf and pickleball have a lot of similarities.  The swings are fairly close and the shoulder rotations are very much related.

There are differences.  Golf balls are usually hit when still, while the wily pickleball is always hit when moving.  A moving ball is a curious thing.  There are spin and the usual gravity, plus the wind is an evil force.

Imagine a windy day and you can easily see that just a bit of extra ball movement will cause all sorts of trouble.  There are fairly small margins when hitting a pickleball.  The ball's speed decays dramatically as does its arc.  The paddles have smallish sweet spots, there is the odd bounce, and skip off the lines.  All sorts of little things that create chaos.

Let me return to the problem of a bad day.  I would suggest that being a half step too late to the proper position to hit a ball might be a big problem.  And when that happens, it's easy to try to hit the ball when you are running, or at least, not stopped.  

When that happens, the normal shot that you will easily hit back with accuracy is now going a bit wonky.

There certainly could be other causes, as mentioned the wind, the temperature, opponents with wildly different styles and ball speeds; all of which can make anyone look clumsy and inept, but let's assume that it's a calm, sunny day, with the usual opponents.

If you find yourself doing unusual, bad things, it might be lack of movement.  Which brings us back to an on going theme in these blog posts and that is time.  If you are slow, or late, or inattentive, you squander the couple of fractions of a second that make the difference between being able to hit a solid stroke and just getting "there" in time for some stabby lunge.

What is required is to recognize that that is going on and get those feet moving earlier and or faster.  I felt some of this in a recent game along about the two hour mark.  I was just playing a bit too casually due to some tiredness and it showed.  

Busy feet are happy feet!

Anti-Lobbing Song

 You had to expect this...

We're coming, we're coming, our brave little band.

On the right side of lobbing we now take our stand.

We don't like to play, if we may sob,

thus none of us will dare hit a lob!

 Away, away with lobs, by gum, with lobs, by gum, with lobs, by gum,

 Away, away with lobs, by gum, the song of the Non-Lobbying Army.

We like to hit hard and make the ball throb,

Because the people who return them aren't able to Lob!

Away, away with lobs, by gum, with lobs, by gum, with lobs, by gum,

 Away, away with lobs, by gum, the song of the Non-Lobbying Army.

We're not really social nor hang out with mobs,

as socialites are more likely to lob.

 Away, away with lobs, by gum.....

We never eat corn that comes on a cob,

People with bits in their teeth are likely to lob!

 Away, away with lobs, by gum.....

We never eat cookies because they have yeast,

And one little crumb makes a man lob like a beast.

Now can you imagine a greater disgrace

Than a man gleefully lobbing with crumbs on his face?

    

 Away, away with lobs, by gum.....

----

Anti=-Dinking Song

 We're coming, we're coming, our brave little band.

On the right side of dinking we now take our stand.

We like to hit high lobs because we do think

That the people who chase them aren't able to Dink!

 Away, away with dinks, by gum, with dinks, by gum, with dinks, by gum,

 Away, away with dinks, by gum, the song of the Non-Dinking Army.

We never eat granola because we do think.  

That gals with oats in their teeth are liable to dink!

 Away, away with dinks, by gum.....

We never hit soft thirds because we do think,

that soft shots will often lead people to dink.

 Away, away with dinks, by gum.....

We never eat cookies because they have yeast,

And one little crumb makes a man dink like a beast.

Now can you imagine a greater disgrace

Than a man at the kitchen with crumbs on his face?

    

 Away, away with dinks, by gum.....

----

I remember this song from long ago.  It was about the demon alcohol as I remembered it, but it lent itself to a bit of a brush up.  The source where I found it, stated that the author is unknown.  It became popular with Teton Tea Parties in the 1960s.  There are other verses, but I think what we have here ought to be enough!  Dink on!

Being a Good Partner or Player - Not

 Roll your eyes when things go badly, your partner will appreciate the feedback.

Serve really hard, that way if they go in, you might win the point.

Another good serve is to try to hit the side line, it's impressive when it works.  This is good against older people or those with knee braces.

If you get a sitter above the net, it's important to hit this ball as hard as possible to show disdain for your opponents.  It doesn't matter if you net the ball.

Always encourage your partner:  "I hope we don't get pickled!",  "Wow, your shot was really long!"  "Try hitting it harder, partner!"

Never follow your service return to the kitchen line, that way partner will have more opportunity to hit defensive shots.  It's important to share the work load.

Always follow your serve with a couple of steps into the court.  That way you can easily move forward for a short return, or back peddle in a panic to return a deep second shot off your back foot.

If partner moves up or is up, always stay back.  The "I formation" is a real thing.  You can return more balls if you are back.

Always hit service returns as close to the net as you can and as hard as you can.  You might be lucky and catch the net cord, or hit one really deep to the servers.  Shrug and blame the wind/paddle/feet if you hit it into the net or long.

If the opponents get off to a hot start, ask about conceding the game and starting a new one.  This is a good idea to maximize court time.

If you have a choice of shots, always aim for the sidelines, that where all the points are scored.  

Make sure you aren't too close to your partner, it's important to spread out as to cover all the court.  The worst sound in PB is the sound of paddles colliding in the middle.

Never call a shot.  It's better to rely on instinct as to who should return it.

Always poach by leaning over to get a shot, never take that extra step into partner's court --  which is considered rude.  Balance is so overrated!

If a ball is hit hard to you, always take a full swing to hit it back harder.  You're trying to win the point, obviously.

If you're in a dinking battle, always speed up or lob.  The game will be better for more variety.

Always lob if you can.  If they go out, shrug then blame the wind/paddle/feet.  But don't give up! 

If you are playing against a weak player and a strong player, hit only smashes to the strong player.  (And make sure to hit them very, very hard, of course.)

 Beginners need to know what the game is all about, so smashes and poaches are considered to be instructional help.  

If partner misses a serve, always ask "What's wrong?"  Your concern will be welcome.

Drop shots are boring.  Always drive the ball when you can; harder is better!

Ducking an obviously long ball is considered rude.  Always be a team player and keep a point going.  Bonus points to return it with a full swing.

Don't block a shot when you can take a swing at it.  It's more "professional" to swing at a ball.

Always hit balls on the run.  That's a good way to add energy to your shot.

If it's your serve, always hit the ball as soon as possible, it's important to keep the game moving.  Even if the opponents or partner doesn't look ready, they probably are.  Don't forget to try to hit a sideline!

Hitting Your Own Knee and Getting the Paddle Ready

 One of the surprising things that is part of pickleball is self-whacking.  Usually it's the knee, but feet are not that uncommon either.

Sadly, it's not a happy experience and the bruises and pain can linger for a couple of days.  That's the first problem for this post...

Problem Two: not having the paddle in a reasonable position for the next shot.   If you watch pros dinking you will see them lead with the paddle, seemingly pause just a fraction of a moment, and then give the ball a little bump.  The important part of that, as I see it, is getting the paddle in a good position early.  Once it's there, you can flip it or hit it inside out or speed up, or even dink, but getting the paddle there is the key.

The last few sessions out I've been working on keeping the paddle in front of my body and the paddle head elevated above the grip.  To do this, I've found that I want an upper body leaning in towards the net a bit.  I'm much more likely to want to move up or sideways and being in a torso forward position is not a bad thing for that movement.

So I'm leaning forward, my paddle is in front of my body and elevated.  It's very hard to hit yourself in the knee from this starting position.  It is easy to bend the wrist out (extension) to a forehand position or bend it backwards (flexion) to be ready for a backhand shot.

But what is great about this, is that it's very hard to hit your knee.  And it's easy and fast to get the paddle to a good position for the next shot.  That provides more time to hit a good shot without lunging and flicking at the ball.  This is very effective when dinking, too.

Give it a try.

Also, a quick bonus thought...  I played this week and partner and I were closing up to the net.  Partner was hitting the current shot.  I didn't have to move much and I took some time to look up at both opponents, where they were, where they were moving, and what they might do with the shot partner was going to hit.  It was very useful information and I could fine tune my position for the next shot.  I've not really spent a lot of time looking at the large picture before.  It was tough enough to follow the ball.  But this game had a lot of dinking in it and that provided me with some extra time to examine the big picture.  Part of my attention was on partner's shot and an additional task was thinking a shot or two ahead.  More research is required, but it looked like it was worth doing.  If I got a speed up or middle shot, I think I would have been more ready (more better ready?) for it.

Problem with Not Sticking Together

 There is a lot of post energy devoted to a team sticking together.   If you are new to pickleball, it might not be a given that you understand the problems with not sticking together.  Let me explore a bit of that.

There is nothing horrible about being split, AKA one up and one back, but it creates an unguarded slot through the middle of the court.  Here is an example.  Your partner is on your left and at the kitchen line.  You are back at the baseline.  Maybe you hit a bad service return, don't want to come up, and you expect to field the third shot better from the baseline.

If your opponents notice you are back, they should hit the third shot to you always.  Everything is still ok at this point.  The ball will come to you.  But before you hit it, you will notice that both opponents are at the net (or should be).  And there is that empty slot between you and your partner.  The entrance to that slot is in front of your right hand opponent.  That's the guy directly in front of you.

Here is the problem.  You are hitting the ball from a deeper location, and if you hit it to the opponent in front of you, he will hit it cross court into the open slot -- there is no one there.  You don't want that to happen, so your shot selection is limited to hitting the ball to the middle or to the left side of the court.  If you don't hit a good shot, your partner is the primary target since he is close and will not have a lot of time to react.  By being back you've closed off half of the court for your play.

The third shot may be the pivotal moment in a point, but that supposes that the service returner team has gotten to the net.  The "second shot must bounce" rule is critical in playing this game versus tennis and others.  You absolutely have to take advantage that the opponents must let the ball drop.   They wait for a bounce, while you are taking advantageous position and getting ready for the third shot.

If you watch the pros, frequently there is a lot of sprinting to follow that second shot in.  Now some of that is due to frequent stacking, but even when that's not in play, they want to be up, stopped, and ready for the third.

Post Script:

There is another solution to being split with opponents at the net and that is to, to, to, lob.  Ok, I said it.  But a good lob will work.  I've not spent a lot of time thinking about lob return defense, but the lobber's side has some time and should use it to organize their positions.  That may be at the baseline or at the net, or mid court.  The quality of the lob and quality of the opponents are important parameters in where to set up for the next shot.